Bearish Options Traders Take to Caterpillar Put Options
by Option Review - May 16th, 2011 4:08 pm
Today’s tickers: CAT, KONG, ACOR & AXL
CAT - Caterpillar, Inc. – The machinery maker’s shares fell during the past five trading sessions and started out this week on the decline, as well. Shares in CAT fell briefly this morning, but reversed course to rally as much as 1.8% to an intraday high of $108.27. But, the rebound in the price of the underlying stock today may not be a lasting trend according to some options players initiating bearish stances on Caterpillar today. It looks like one pessimist purchased a put spread, buying around 3,000 puts at the June $100 strike for a premium of $1.39 each, and selling the same number of puts at the lower June $90 strike at a premium of $0.26 a-pop. The net cost of initiating the spread amounts to $1.13 per contract. Thus, the trader starts making money if CAT’s shares drop 8.7% from today’s high of $108.27 to breach the effective breakeven point on the spread at $98.87 by expiration in June. Maximum potential profits of $8.87 per contract are available to the investor should shares plummet 16.9% to trade below $90.00 at expiration next month. Longer-term bearish sentiment appeared in January 2012 contract put options. One trader purchased 5,000 deep out-of-the-money puts at the January 2012 $72.5 strike for a premium of $1.59 each. Rising levels of options implied volatility on CAT as well as bearish movement in the share price will benefit the investor by lifting premium on the puts, while the erosion of time value on the long position will work against him. The puts may have been tied to stock. Options traders are exchanging roughly 1.6 put options on the stock today for each single call option in play as of 12:30pm in New York.
KONG - KongZhong Corp. – The Beijing, China-based wireless media company popped up on our scanner this morning due to predominantly bearish activity in June contract options. Shares in KongZhong Corp. plunged 24.9% during the session to touch an intraday…
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Calls Hot on OSI Systems After Failed Terror plot
by Option Review - December 30th, 2009 4:12 pm
Today’s tickers: OSIS, SEED, AMZN, KONG & TER
OSIS – OSI Systems Inc. – Investors were keen to put a name on the company that might benefit from a boost to security spending, which is behind the 12.5% rally in shares of OSI Systems today to $28.22. The previous 52-week high stood at $25.64 in the California-based company that makes critical electronic gadgetry to include complex security and inspection systems. The fallout from the Christmas Day arrest of a young Nigerian who apparently attempted to set off an explosive device on a Detroit-bound airplane is fast trickling through to who might win orders from the office of homeland security. Option volume in OSI Systems is a rare thing as indicated by the scant vale of open interest at 4,341 lots. Call option buyers at the January expiration saw to it that the company remains on investors’ radar after they likely doubled the prevailing number of option positions on Wednesday. Some 4,700 calls at the $30 strike were bought starting at 25 cents per contract and rising to as much as $1.00 each as the shares rose in value. The delta reading of 33% implies a one-in-three chance that the share price will rise by a further 6.3% within the next 18 days.
SEED – Origin Agritech – There was a wave of call option activity at Origin Agritech following the technology-focused seed development company’s announcement that it had bought back the remainder of its outstanding notes. The move will probably strengthen its balance sheet and helped spur its share price 25% higher to $12.15. Last month the stock rose to about $15 after the Chinese government said it would work with the company to grow modified corn and rice. Heaviest call volume was seen at the January $12.5 strike where 4,400 lots have traded from Tuesday’s close of 10 cents to 90 cents. The $15 strike calls have traded 1,600 times at an unchanged 30 cents. Option implied volatility spiked from 80% to 103% as uncertainty grew as investors demanded higher premiums to sell options. At the January 10 strike investors appeared swift to sell more than 4,000 put options as low as 40 cents, down from Tuesday’s closing price of $1.10 in the expectation that Origin will remain firm.
AMZN – Amazon Inc. – One investor appeared to take out some protection against a possible decline in shares of…
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Philip R. Davis is a founder Phil's Stock World, a stock and options trading site that teaches the art of options trading to newcomers and devises advanced strategies for expert traders...
Ilene is editor and affiliate program
coordinator for PSW.